Free Effect. A new ice cream company in India has set up free ice cream vending machines on the streets to promote its brand. Result? People lined up at a very long distance in front of the vending machine. It was raining then, and the people in line went to a convenience store to buy umbrellas, then lined up again. Umbrellas cost much more than ice cream. However, people kept lining up. Cheap and free are two completely different concepts. When the price is low, sales increase slightly, but when it is free, an extraordinary dimension of the problem arises. It’s a privilege, so consumers are willing to pay a higher price to get something for free. Free is not a matter of reason; it is a matter of emotion. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Since 2008, the US CDC has published annual flu reports aimed at preventing the spread of influenza nationwide. Researchers took two weeks to compile data on each flu outbreak by calculating the number of cases and generating a report. Meanwhile, the flu had already spread across the country. Google addressed this issue by analyzing search query statistics. However, an error emerged in 2013 when the flu vaccine became scarce, prompting the media to publish numerous flu-related articles that further distorted the situation by conflating the search terms for flu patients. In other words, accurate data analysis depends on the ability to interpret quality, untainted data and its context. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”